Apparatus and method of assembly of electron discharge devices



March 19, 1963 E. F. SMART ETAL 3,081,521

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLY OF ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICES Filed Dec. 29. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 i I58 I j I68 I56 I44 I62 H I48 "8 I60fi 44 54 n2 I82 I80 I78 I76 q gg 6 174 a #1 Mamh 1963 E. F. SMART ETAL 3,081,521

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLY OF ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICES Filed Dec. 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Ernes: F. Smur? 8 Douglas G. NOI'GS BY ..J ATT INEY March 19, 1963 E. F. SMART ETAL 3,081,521

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLY OF ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICES Filed Dec. 29, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent Ofiiice 3,081,521 Patented Mar. 19, 1963 APPARATUS AND METHQD 6F ASSEMBLY F ELECTRON D'llCHARQ-E DEVICES Ernest F. Smart and Douglas G. Noiles, Bath, N.Y., as=

signers to Westinghouse *lectric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation or? Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 29, 1%9, Ser. No. 862,510

4 Ciairns. (ill. 29-4519) This invention relates to electron discharge devices and more particularly to methods of assembly and apparatus for assemblying such electron discharge devices.

In most present day assembly methods utilized in the manufacture of electron discharge devices and particularly in the receiving type tubes, small and delicate parts are assembled by hand. One common form of electrode cage assembly used in receiving tubes consists of two spaced parallel insulating spacer plates of a material such as mica between which are supported a cathode, a plurality of grids including side support rods having lateral wires Wound thereon and an anode electrode. The assembly operation of this cage requires skilled operators. The work can become quite tedious and even with skilled operators the shrinkage may run quite high due to the delicate electrodes and critical spacing between the electrodes. There have been attempts from time to time to either partially or wholly mechanize the assembly of receiving tubes, but most of these procedures have not been adopted by the tube industry for various reasons. In a copending application, Serial No. 788,606, entitled Apparatus and ethod of Assembly for Electron Discharge Devices, by C. F. Miller et. al., filed January 23, 1959, there is disclosed a tube assembly method and apparatus which has overcome several major drawbacks in the prior art and has been found to substantially reduce the cost of manufacture of receiving tubes.

One of the major drawbacks in utilizing automatic machinery for the manufacture and assembly of the elec trode cage is the requirement of extreme manufacturing tolerances in the electrode components which make the end cost of the total operation excessive. This invention is directed to methods of assembly and apparatus to utilize tube components made to ordinary manufacturing tolerances which in themselves do not have the accuracy heretofore required for machine assembly.

Many receiving tube components, such as grid and plate elements become slightly distorted during manufacture and handling. In most cases, the component is substantially the proper size and within the specified tolerances, but will contain certain imperfections such as splayed or twisted side support rods. Also, certain lateral profile requirements cause the support members of a grid to spring out and therefore the grid cannot be readily guided into the apertures in the insulating spacer memher.

It is also found that in the previously mentioned copending application, where one grid leg is longer than the other, that the operation of loading and seating the longer grid side rod member into the spacer member causes some movement of the grid member within the carrying cradle such as to cause diificulty in inserting the shorter grid side rod into the aperture in the spacer plate. Also, certain shield and plate components used in receiving tubes also exhibit this spring out condition and the lugs or cars provided on these members cannot be accurately guided into the apertures provided in the spacer member. These examples are considered to be the more serious type of problems involved in employing guide systems to assemble electrode elements within the spacer plate members.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an assembly method and apparatus wherein electrode components can be accurately held in alignment with the apertures in the spacer plate and inserted without damage to the assembly and without imposing more rigid requirements on the manufacturing tolerances of the components.

it is another object to provide an improved assembly apparatus for assemblying electrode members within an electrode cage.

It is another object to provide an improved method of assemblying electrode components within an electrode cage.

It is another object to provide improved electrode cage assembly apparatus for locating and seating the electrode in the desired position within the spacer plate member.

It is another object to provide improved apparatus for accurately inserting an electrode into an electrode cage assembly so as to not interfere with other loaded electrode members.

It is another object to provide alignment and correction means within electrode assembly apparatus to correct for certain defects found in electrodes received from standard manufacturing procedures prior to insertion into the cage assembly.

It is another object to provide a loading mechanism wherein the electrodes are supported and aligned prior to insertion into the electrode cage.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in accordance with the accompanying drawing, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, which drawing forms a part of this application and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of an apparatus for use in the assembly of electrodes within an electron cage assembly in accordance with the teaching of our invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a completed electrode cage assembly of an electron discharge device which has been assembled in accordance with the teachings of our invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the jig fixture on which the electrode cage assembly is mounted;

FIG. 4 is a view of the end of the loading mechanism showing the first grid electrode prior to insertion into the spacer plate;

FIG. 5 is a view of the end of the loading mechanism showing the second grid electrode prior to insertion into the spacer plate;

REG. 6 is a view of the end of loading mechanism showing the third grid electrode prior to insertion into the spacer plate;

FIG. 7 is a view of the end of the loading mechanism showing the fourth grid electrode prior to insertion into the spacer plate;

FIG. 8 is a View of the end of the loading mechanism showing the fifth grid electrode prior to insertion into the spacer plate;

FIG. 9 shows the slide bar mechanism utilized for load ing the second grid electrode shown in FIGS. 1 and 5;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the slide bar along line X--X of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an end view of the loading mechanism showing the second grid electrode mounted therein;

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view also taken along line X-X of FIG. 9 showing the slide bar mechanism in a position prior to loading of the grid electrode into the slide bar mechanism;

FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of a portion of a slide bar mechanism utilized in loading a shield member into an electron discharge device;

FIG. 14 shows an end view of the slide bar assembly shown in FIG. 13 in a position prior to insertion;

FIG. 15 is an end view of a loading mechanism illustrating how two electrode plates are mounted within the loading electrode assembly prior to insertion into the spacer plate.

Referring in detail to FIG. 1, there is shown a top view of an apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of our invention. The apparatus includes a jig assembly which is more fully described in oopending application Serial No. 857,036, filed December 3, 1959, entitled apparatus for Assembly of Electron Discharge Devices, by E. F. Smart and assigned to the same assignee as this application. The apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 consists of five separate loading mechanisms which are utilized to load grids 1 through 5 in a tube type such as the CS6 or BB6.

This tube type structure is illustrated in FIG. 2. The electrode cage assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises a bottom or first spacer member 16 of a suitable insulating material such as mica. A second or top spacer member 18 of similar material is provided at the opposite end of the electrode cage assembly. The insulator spacer members 16 and 18 are parallel to each other and have similar spaced apertures for positioning the electrodes. The electrodes are positioned and located by the two spacer members 16 and 18. A tubular sleeve type cathode 26 is positioned between and perpendicular to the spacer members 16 and 18 and the ends of the cathode extend through a centrally located aperture 22 provided in each spacer member 16 and 13. Surrounding the cathode is a first grid electrode 24 which is comprised of two side rods 26 and 28 with lateral wires 30. The side rods 26 and 28 are perpendicular to the spacer members 16 and 18 and the ends of the side rods 26 and 28 are positioned in apertures 31 and 33 respectively in each of the spacers 16 and 18. Surrounding the first grid 24 is a second grid 32 having side rods 34 and 36. Again lateral Wires 38 are provided on the two vertical support rods 34 and 36. The side rods 34 and 36 are perpendicular to the spacers 16 and 18 and have their end portions positioned in apertures 40 and 42 respectively in each of the spacers 16 and 18. Surrounding the second grid electrode is a third electrode 44 having vertical support side rods 46 and 48 and lateral wires 41. The side rods 46 and 48 are perpendicular to the spacers 16 and 18 and have their end portions positioned in apertures 58 and 52 respectively in each of the spacers 16 and 18. Surrounding the third electrode is a fourth grid electrode 54 having side rods 56 and 58 and having their end portions located respectively in apertures 60 and 62 of each of the insulating spacers 16 and 18. The grid 54 is also provided with lateral members 61 supported on the side rods 56 and 58. The fifth grid 66 is also positioned Within the electrode cage by providing side rods 68 and 70 located in apertures 72 and 74 respectively in each of the spacers 16 and 18. The grid 66 -is provided with lateral members 71. The anode 78 of the electrode cage is positioned so as to surround the entire grid electrode structure and is provided with locking tabs or extensions (not shown) from each end of the anode which pass through apertures 80 in each of the spacers 16 and 18 and are locked by twisting o-r deforming the tab so as to secure the cage structure together.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the assembly apparatus includes a base plate member 160 having a plurality of loading mechanisms 112, 114, 116, 118 and 126 and a jig assembly 102 located thereon. The jig assembly 1112 consists of a base member 104 and a bearing member 106 which is rotatably mountedto said base member 102. An arm member 108 is hinged to the rotatable member 1116 and the opposite end of the arm is secured to the jig fixture 110. This type of mounting permits the jig fixture 110 to be rotated about a vertical axis and also permits the jig fixture 110 to be angularly displaced from either a vertical or horizontal position for various operations.

In FIG. 1, the jig fixture 118 is shown in a horizontal position. The various loading mechanisms 12 and 114, 116, 118, and 120 are positioned on the base plate 108 as illustrated in the figure. In FIG. 3, there is shown a perspective view of the end of the jig fixture 118 illustrating the mounting of the first spacer plate 16 onto the jig fixture and also the positioning of the cathode sleeve 20 over the spade member 21 provided on the jig fixture and seating the cathode through the aperture 22 provided in the spacer member 16. This operation is normally done by hand while the jig fixture is positioned in a vertical orientation. After this operation, the jig fixture 116 is rotated to a horizontal position facing the first grid loading mechanism 112. A side surface of the jig fixture 110 rests on a jig fixture guide member 122 so as to position the jig fixture 118 in the proper horizontal position and a stop member 124 positions the jig fixture 110 in the proper rotational position for loading the first grid 24 into the cage assembly by means of the loading mechanism 112.

The loading assembly 112 consists of a slide block assembly 1311 having a slide bar mechanism 132 movable therein. The slide bar mechanism 132 includes a cradle portion 134 into which the first grid 24 is top loaded and held in a horizontal position by gravity. It should be noted that the grid 24; is normally top loaded into the cradle 134 by hand operation. Of course, this may be accomplished by any mechanical means. The cradle portion 134 provides guiding and positioning means and also normally a back stop for engaging the ends of the grid remote from the jig fixture 111). Also positioned on the slide bar 132 is a hinged spring loaded compensator lid member 136. The position of the compensator lid 136 illustrated in FIG, 1 is in the load position which is substantially vertical while the grid member 24 is being loaded into the loading assembly 112. In the subsequent operation where the grid is moved forward into engagement with the jig fixture 110, the compensator lid 136 is in a substantially horizontal position as illustrated in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the compensator member 136 is designed to contact the side support members 26 and 28 of the grid 24. While the compensator lid 136 is in the position illustrated in FIG. 4, the sliding bar assembly 132 is moved forward by pushing on the compensator lid 136 so that the grid legs 26 and 28 pass through the apertures 31 and 33 in the spacer .16 and engage the jig fixture 116. The compensator lid 136 corrects the shape of the grid electrode 24 if the grid is twisted, splayed, or oversize. It also aligns the grid 24 with respect to the jig assembly 110 and retains the grid electrode 24 accurately while guiding it over the previously inserted cathode 20 onto the jig assembly. The compensator lid 136 opens before the sliding bar assembly 132 returns to the loading position. This eliminates the possibility of pulling the electrode out of spacer when slide bar returns.

After the first grid 24 has been inserted into the cage assembly, the jig fixture 118 is moved along the jig fixture guide 122 to a stop position which consists of a channel 146 into which the jig fixture 110 is locked in the rotational direction. The loading assembly 114 associated with the loading of the second grid electrode 32 consists of a block assembly .142 and a slide bar 144. Again the grid electrode 32 is loaded into a cradle 146 of the slide bar 144 as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5. The cradle 146 and the compensator lid 148 associated with the loading mechanism 114 is designed to conform with particular grid electrode. In loading the grid 32 into the jig fixture 118, the grid 32 is top loaded into the cradle 146 and is positioned within the cradle by gravity. The compensator lid 148 is then pressed down as illustrated in FIG. 5. Closing the compensator lid 148 brings the grid legs into the desired alignment, correcting such errors as twist, splay and oversize. The sliding bar 144 is moved forward so as to guide the side rods 34 and 36 through the apertures 40 and 42 provided in the spacer 16 and into the jig fixture 110.

The slide bar 144 and the block assembly 142 are of similar construction in all the loading assemblies 112, 114, 116, 118 and 120 and only the detailed construction of the slide bar 144 is illustrated herein. The details of the slide bar 144 are shown more clearly in FIGS. 9', 10, 11 and 12. The slide bar 144 is of a suitable material such as tool steel having a substantially rectangular cross section and having a cradle portion 146 formed at one end into which the grid electrode 32 is positioned. The lower and side surfaces of the slide bar 144 slide with the block 142 as shown-in FIG. 5. The compensating lid 148 is hinged to the bar 144 by means of a pin 145 and a spring member 147 is secured to the bar 144 by means of a screw 149 at one end and the opposite end of the spring 147 engages the compensating lid 148 to hold it in an upright position as illustrated in FIG. 12. The compensating lid 148 includes an insert 150 which has the proper work surface to perform the necessary functions on the grid member 32. The insert 150 is secured to the compensating lid 148 by means of a screw 151. By utilizing an insert member in the compensating lid, the slide bar mechanism 144 may be utilized with several different tube types simply by modifying the insert 150 utilized in the compensating lid 148.

After insertion of the second grid electrode 32 into the electrode cage, the jig assembly 110 is moved to a third position facing the loading mechanism 116. Again a channel 154 is provided on the jig fixture guide 122 to properly position the jig fixture 110 with respect to the loading mechanism 116, The height of the jig fixture guide 122 within the channel 154 establishes the vertical height of the jig fixture with respect to the loading mechanism 116. The loading mechanism 116, see FIGS. 1 and 6, consists of an assembly block 156 having a sliding bar 158 and a cradle portion 160 provided on the end of the slide bar 158 nearest the jig fixture 110. Again the grid member 44 is positioned within the cradle 160 while the compensator lid 162 is in the upright position. The grid electrode 44 is again top loaded into the loading mechanism 116 and retained in a horizontal position. In this structure, the side rods 46 and 48 of the grid 44 lie in a vertical plane while in the preceding cases the side rods were in a horizontal plane. The backstop portion provided within the cradle 160 is normally provided with a notch to approximately position the grid electrode 44 within the cradle 1611. The compensator lid 162 in this case contacts the lateral profile portion of the grid 44 as near to the side rods as possible upon closing as illustrated in FIG. 6. While the compensator lid 162 is in the closed position, one end of the side rods 46 and 48 are inserted through the apertures 50 and -2 in the spacer 16 and into the jig fixture 110.

After insertion of the third grid electrode into the electrode cage, the jig assembly 110 is moved to a fourth position adjacent the loading mechanism 118 and is again positioned with respect to the loading mechanism by means of a channel 164 provided within the jig fixture guide 122. The loading mechanism 118, see FIGS. 1 and 7, consist of a block assembly 166, a sliding bar member 168 having a cradle portion 170 positioned on the end of the bar 163 facing the jig fixture 110. Again a compensator lid 172 is associated with the slide bar 168 and the grid electrode 54 is dropped into the cradle 170 and then the compensating lid 172 is pressed down and the sliding bar 168 is moved forward so as to insert the side rods 56 and 58 of the grid electrode 54 through apertures 60 and 62 of the spacer member 16 and into its proper position within the jig assembly 110. This compensator is a version of FIG. 4 designed to accommodate grids whose laterals are welded to side rods and are liable to have short projections of lateral wire 173 extending from side rod.

The jig fixture 110 is then moved to a fifth position adjacent the loading mechanism where the fifth grid 66 is positioned within the slide bar member 178. A stop member 174 is provided on the jig fixture guide 122 for positioning the jig assembly 110 with respect to the loading mechanism 120. The loading mechanism 121) again consists of a block assembly 176, a sliding bar assembly 178. The sliding bar assembly 178 includes a cradle portion 180 into which the grid electrode 66 is positioned. A compensator lid 182 is provided to position the grid 66. The compensator lid 182 is closed prior to the slide bar 178 being moved forward and the grid inserted into the electrode cage assembly. The front view of the cradle 180 and compensator lid 182 while in the load position is illustrated in FIG. 8. Grid 66 is substantially round. To provide initial and approximate location of the grid in cradle 1811, locating members 133 are built into the backstop to prevent rotation of support rods. These locating members 183 do not interfere with final aligned position of grid which is established by closing of compensator lid 182.

The jig fixture 110 may then be rotated so as to be in a vertical position and the anode electrode 73 positioned over the cage assembly and then the top spacer member 18 is then secured on the top of the electrode cage. The assembly may then be removed from the jig fixture 110 and the ears provided on the anode 78 deformed to lock the electrode cage together as illustrated in FIG. 2.

It is of course, obvious that the anode 78 could be mounted by another loading mechanism similar to that used with respect to the grids. Various forms of inserts may be utilized within the compensator lid and the closing of the compensator lid becomes a part of the sliding member at the time of insertion of the electrode into the spacer plate.

In FIGS. 13 and 14, there is illustrated a portion of a sliding bar assembly with a compensator lid 192 attached thereto and a cradle portion 194 provided therein for mounting a shield member 196 within an electrode cage such as used in tube type 5OC5.

In FIG. 15 there is illustrated a portion of a sliding bar assembly 191 illustrating the cradle portion 193 and the compensator lid retaining two half shield electrodes 197 in position for mounting into an electrode cage such as used in tube type 6PH5.

It should be noted that an important advantage of the construction of the compensator is that the compensator aligns the grid side rods. This means that even though the laterals may not be symmetrical with regard to a plane through the side rods, the accuracy of insertion is not destroyed.

While the present invention has been shown in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but it is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

We claim as our invention:

1. Apparatus for assembling an electrode structure for an electron discharge device, said apparatus including a jig member, said jig hinged to a base member, said base member movable with respect to a mounting means, said jig being operable to be positioned in a vertical or horizontal position, horizontal positioned electrode loading means, said loading means having an electrode cradle into which said electrode is top loaded and electrode alignment mean for aligning and retaining said electrode Within said cradle for inserting said electrode into said jig when in a horizontal position.

2. Apparatus for assembling an electrode cage for an electron discharge device, said apparatus including in combination a jig member to which the electrode cage is assembled, a plurality of horizontally positioned electrode guide means, each of said guides operable to receive an electrode by top loading and also operable to move linearly so as to insert said electrode into said jig member,

compensating means positioned on said electrode guides to engage said electrode to align and position said electrode Within said guide during insertion of said electrode into said electrode cage.

3. Apparatus for loading an electrode member into an electrode cage comprising a horizontal cradle means into Which said electrode member is top loaded so as to retain said electrode member Within said cradle by the Weight of said electrode member, compensating means hinged to said cradle member so as to be in a substantially vertical position during loading of said electrode member and then rotated to a horizontal position above said cradle surface and thereby engage said electrode member to align and position said electrode member during mounting into said electrode cage.

4. Apparatus for inserting an electrode member into an electrode assembly comprising a horizontally positioned electrode carrying means into which said electrode is horizontally positioned, electrode compensating means attached to said carrying means to engage said electrode to align and position said electrode Within said carrying means, and means associated with said electrode carrying means to provide linear movement of said electrode carrying means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,817,746 Gooskens et al. Aug. 4, 1931 2,853,769 Stahl Sept. 30, 1958 2,871,621 Hanson et al. Feb. 3, 1959 

1. APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING AN ELECTRODE STRUCTURE FOR AN ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING A JIG MEMBER, SAID JIG HINGED TO A BASE MEMBER, SAID BASE MEMBER MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO A MOUNTING MEANS, SAID JIG BEING OPERABLE TO BE POSITIONED IN A VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL POSITION, HORIZONTAL POSITIONED ELECTRODE LOADING MEANS, SAID LOADING MEANS HAVING AN ELECTRODE CRADLE INTO WHICH SAID ELECTRODE IS TOP LOADED AND ELECTRODE ALIGNMENT MEANS FOR ALIGNING AND RETAINING SAID ELECTRODE WITHIN SAID CRADLE FOR INSERTING SAID ELECTRODE INTO SAID JIG WHEN IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION. 